Since the start of the Pandemic, scientists have wondered if certain vitamins improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Some doctors continue to prescribe these supplements to promote a healthy immune response.
The University of Toledo published a scientific review last month that found no evidence that taking zinc, vitamins C and D reduces the risk of dying from COVID-19.
The analysis looked at 26 peer-reviewed studies from all over the world. After they were admitted to the hospital, patients took zinc and vitamins. Patients who took the supplement after they got sick were included in the study.
vitamins didn't seem to lower the risk of mortality
If a person started taking the supplement after their COVID-19 diagnosis, the length of their hospital stay would be reduced.
The lead researcher of the study said more studies are needed to know if the treatment of vitamins D and C is effective.
Beran said that if it showed benefit in patients with normal levels of vitamins D and D, then it would work.
Only patients who are deficient in these vitamins should be taking them as supplements.
Scientists study zinc, vitamins C and D in relation to infections.
Some research suggests that zinc might prevent viruses from replicating, and that populations at high risk of acquiring viruses are often deficient in zinc. Anti-Inflammatory properties of Vitamins C and D may help ward off disease.
Some countries have promoted vitamins for COVID-19 based on this knowledge.
There wasn't enough evidence for that at that time, but they made the conclusion based on non-COVID data, Beran said.
In August of 2021, zinc and vitamins C and D were included in Egypt's COVID-19 treatment protocol.
The National Institutes of Health found insufficient evidence to support the use of vitamins C, D, and zinc.
Some patients in Beran's Ohio clinic still think vitamins will improve their symptoms.
There is no evidence for those beliefs, as a February 2021 study found.
Taking too much of a supplement can result in unneeded side effects. High doses of vitamins C and D can cause nausea and vomiting.
Beran did not consider whether hospitalized patients were deficient in vitamins before they got sick. Taking supplements can help the immune system of COVID-19 patients, but they are not the same as a direct treatment.
Beran said that there is strong data about the association of vitamin D deficiency and worse outcomes of COVID-19.
A September 2020 study found that people with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to be positive for COVID-19. A recent Israeli study found that half of people who were deficient in vitamins D and E before getting COVID-19 developed severe illness, compared to less than 10% of people who had sufficient levels of the vitamins in their blood.
Beran said that patients with deficient vitamins should take supplements.
He said that if someone is admitted with COVID and found to have a deficiency of vitamins D and D, you should treat that patient with vitamins D.
Steroids are our most effective method of treating COVID-19, he said, and vaccines are our most important tool for preventing it. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, booster shots reduced the risk of hospitalization by at least 90% after two weeks.
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